Estimated read time: Less than a minute
This archived news story is available only for your personal, non-commercial use. Information in the story may be outdated or superseded by additional information. Reading or replaying the story in its archived form does not constitute a republication of the story.
PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (AP) — The U.S. government has warned Haiti that it risks losing aid if it doesn't hold elections that are more than two years overdue.
The U.S. Embassy in Port-au-Prince said Thursday that none of the money set aside for the Haitian government by the State Appropriations Act will be available until the U.S. State Department certifies Haiti is "taking steps" to hold the legislative and local votes.
The money at stake is about $300 million that the U.S. Congress allocated for Haiti for fiscal year 2014. The money is earmarked for Haiti's coast guard, health ministry and other projects.
Haitian officials are under pressure to organize the elections for this year. The executive branch and Chamber of Deputies signed an electoral law this month but the Senate has yet to approve.
Copyright © The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.